📰🗞️ FILM NEWS & UPDATES - The Latest Updates from Malayalam Movies 🗞️📰

[mampilly]

There's More to Indian Cinema than Bollywood'




Movie lovers learn that there's more to Indian cinema than big Bollywood productions at the Indian Film Society of UAE's (IFSUAE) first film festival, being held here from Thursday.

"This festival is being held to promote the exhibition of non-mainstream Indian cinema," said IFSUAE Chairman Shamnad Basheer at the society's inaugural event. "These films do not necessarily entertain in the same way as mainstream films do, but they are deeply engaging. Our mission is to show you that not every Indian film is from Bollywood, and Indian cinema is more than flashy dance numbers and cliche romance stories."

The three-day film festival is screening four feature-length Indian films and five short Arabic films at the Indian Embassy, which lends its support to the Indian Film Society of UAE. Indian Ambassador M.K. Lokesh acted as host of the event.

"Cinema is a powerful medium. It is not only entertainment, but it is medium for conveying messages. We are very fortunate to have such luminaries as Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Gautham Ghose, Jabbar Patel and Girish Kasaravalli to represent this type of cinema," said the ambassador, honouring the four filmmakers who have come from India to attend the festival. In addition to answering questions after the screening of their films, the directors addressed various aspects of filmmaking during a Friday morning seminar at the Indian Social and Cultural Centre.

The filmmakers applauded IFSUAE's efforts to introduce local audiences to India's "parallel", or non-commercial, cinema. "This kind of initiative will pave the way, said internationally acclaimed director Adoor Gopalakrishnan. "After people get exposed to these films, they will understand what we expect of the audience--to understand our films, enjoy our films, be entertained by our films. We also want our films to be popular but on our own terms, not on somebody else's." His Malayalam film "Elippathayam" was shown on the festival's opening day.

The directors also recognised the potential of Abu Dhabi's growing film industry. Goutam Ghose, whose Bengali film "Moner Manush" will be screened on Saturday, spoke of how this environment can benefit Indian cinema. "There is a film culture in the UAE. You have two major film festivals and a lot of young filmmakers making films. They're trying to create cinema, so I think it's the right opportunity for an Indian film society to come up and show films, discuss films and create appreciation courses."

The Indian Film Society of UAE hopes to cultivate film appreciation not only through public events like this film festival, but also by setting up similar societies at local schools and universities. In praise of these efforts to educate, Dr Gopalkrishnan commented: "That is how we develop our taste in music, in literature--with constant exposure. We keep learning, we keep developing our taste. That is the function of this new society that has been formed here."

[mampilly]

The pillar of Malayalam cinema: Fazil



Fazil.
The demise of Navodaya Appachan saw people from different walks of life express their grief over the death of one of Malayalam film world’s greatest innovators.

Noted director Fazil said: “The main pillar behind the Malayalam cinema has gone. Many an artiste, including me, has made a mark in the industry only because of him.”

“He gifted us numerous good Malayalam movies. He was a man with passion for producing mainstream movies.

Appachan was ready to take risks as a producer and the risk element in his experiments yielded some very good movies.

Though we were not intimate friends I admired his personality very much,” was what producer Achani Ravi had to say.

Actor Indrajit described Appachan as “such an epitome of strength to Malayalam cinema all through one whole big era. My prayers are for his soul”.

The chief minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, said that the death was a great loss for Malayalam cinema. He was the one who initiated major changes in cinema industry.

Cardinal Mar George Alencherry said that his death was a big loss to the world of culture. “The headquarters of the Syro Malabar Church is situated in the land previously owned by Appachan. I had visited Appachan before his death in the hospital and had prayed for him.”

One of the biggest personalities Malayalam cinema has ever seen, was how actor Mamta Mohandas reacted on hearing Appachan’s death.

[mampilly]

Manjadikkuru to hot the theatres soon


After a long time in waiting, director Anjali Menon will have his debut movie 'Manjadikkuru' (Lucky Red Seeds'), into theatres shortly.

The movie which had been accorded with plenty of awards and achievement in festivals have Prithviraj, Rahman, Urvashi, Thilakan, Bindu Panickar, Kaviyoor Ponamma, Praveena and Sindhu Menon in its cast lines. Produced by Little films, the movie about a 10-year-old boy who returns to his village to attend the funeral of his grandfather, had a dream run at every festivals in which it participated.

The movie had been awarded with the Best Indian Debut Director Award instituted by Mira Nair at the IFFK, the FIPRESCI Award by the International Federation of Film Critics, the Best Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay and Best Emerging Talent Awards at the South Asian International Film Festival, US, a Certificate of Appreciation at the Schlegel International Film Festival, Germany and the Best Directorial Debut by a Woman Award at the New Jersey NJISACF, US.

[mampilly]

Who will play Marthanda Varma?
Times of India
Mollywood actors Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi as well as Prithviraj are currently being considered for the ... The director's associates then suggested Mammootty

[mampilly]

Thrills and frills



On a different path Sameera Reddy


Glam doll Sameera Reddy switches to action mode for upcoming Tezz. She tells harshikaa udasi how she managed to pull off a challenging role
Sameera Reddy is quite happy with the initial response she is getting for her film Tezz, which releases next week. Directed by Priyadarshan, the film stars Ajay Devgn, Kangna Ranaut, Zayed Khan and Boman Irani, besides herself, and despite an ensemble star cast, her action-packed role is getting all the wows! “I was surprised why nobody had ever approached me for an action role. I am tall and naturally built for action, I think. So I was very excited when Priyadarshan approached me with Tezz and told me it was a no-nonsense role where I wouldn't be able to complain about chipping my nails! I was game for it,” says the confident actor, who works simultaneously in Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and Bengali films.

Sameera forms the core of the script with co-actors Ajay Devgn and Zayed Khan — the trio play illegal employees in the U.K. The action thriller is about how they, led by Ajay Devgn, turn against the authorities who try to deport him and plants a bomb on a train speeding between Glasgow and London. “While Tezz is being touted as an action-thriller, I feel there is an immense emotional connect. We are going against the system, as we are being thrown out of a place we belong to,” says Sameera of her character.

Turning biker girl

The Mumbai-based actor, who has largely played glamorous or romantic roles, says it was quite a challenge to get into action mode for this one. “I apologise to my fans who have earlier seen me biking in films. I didn't actually do it before Tezz. I have done white water rafting and dirt biking and I am only too happy for it! I took three months to master a bike — there was a time when production hands had all but given up on me. Actually, I was trying to ride a Kinetic, while I should be riding a motorbike. Hence I had fallen three or four times. Then I decided to just go for the real stuff, and presto! I was a master at that,” she laughs.

Sameera says the only scary part of the film was when she had to get dunked in 2°C water in Scotland for a particular shot. “Priyadarshan had warned me it was not a girlie role and I had promised him I wouldn't throw any heroine nakhras (tantrums). So I didn't tell him that I have a low BP problem and even sitting with the AC on gives me the chills. Boy! I almost got hypothermia,” she says.

The actor is proud to be associated with five language cinemas in India even though she has to battle questions mainly from Hindi cinemagoers about her ‘absence' from their medium. “When I began my career, I used to say I was a Bollywood heroine. Once Mr. Bachchan had referred to this body of work as cinema of India, and today I feel proud about being known as the heroine of each of the States I work for. What most people living in Mumbai don't realise is regional cinema has a large fan following too,” she says.

Sameera is only too happy that Vidya Balan's latest films have opened up new doors for Indian actresses. “She has done ground-breaking work, the effect of which I can see on the kind of scripts I am receiving. I will focus on eclectic Hindi films now. In the last two or three months, I have read some of the best Hindi and Tamil scripts ever,” she adds.

She is currently working on her first Kannada film, Shankare Gowda's Vardhanayaka, and already generating reams of newsprint thanks to the supposed ‘highest ever paid' tag. “It feels good to know people realise my worth, but definitely I didn't know about this highest paid concept till I myself read about it in the papers,” she admits. She is also set to begin a Tamil and Telugu film by mid-2012. Asked if she had been approached for the remake of Vettai in Hindi, she says, “From what I hear, they are changing the script entirely. Vettai is a lovely film! I knew it would click big time. But most of the time, the actress gets replaced,” she says, candidly.

Sameera admits that she can learn languages fast and grasp the emotion behind the words quickly and that's what gives her the ability to span cinema of various regions. “But the funny thing is I can unlearn as fast as I can learn!” she laughs, adding, “My directors say I have RAM up there! But that can be an asset too as in this industry, it's best to forget the negatives and move on,” she concludes.

[mampilly]

Bold and brazen!



Malayalam movies have always been a platform for experimenting. Those of you used to movies of a different era may well recount how filmmakers revelled in the ample use of imagery that aptly conveyed what they hesitated to convey in words or action.

A time when they took care not to tread the forbidden paths of explicit language or scenes. The audience was king and anything that they disapproved of was a big no.

Thus the average Malayalee came to learn that two entwined roses symbolised love and a violent scene heralded the imagery of a lion pouncing on a hapless doe.

“But times have changed,” seems to be the message new age filmmakers have conveyed and some movies like Beautiful, EAK and 22FK are ideal examples of how explicit dialogues are becoming the norm of the day.

If V.K. Prakash’s Beautiful and Arun Kumar Anand’s Ee Adutha Kaalathu made news for a heady mix of such provoking dialogues, the very recent one that’s made news has been 22 FK which sees veteran actor Pathap Pothan in the role of a psycho, uttering the forbidden words, “I want to have sex with you,” just before he brutally rapes his victim.

Though these movies were well received by audiences many squirmed in their seats while these dialogues were spoken.

“A change can be seen in all aspects of his life. The way the audience thinks and talks has also evolved, so why the fuss about showing a slice of reality on the big screen?” asks Arun Kumar as he points to why he chose such explicit scenes in his movie, especially for the character Ajay Kurien.

“Though many warned that the family audience would not approve of such elements we went forward with our idea as bold dialogues were crucial to a character likes Ajay’s who is desperately trying to cover up his feelings of inferiority.

When Cocktail brought out the story of extramarital relationships in a poignant way, I saw people guilty of such affairs calling me up and asking me not to pursue such themes any more.”

His views are echoed by his friend Murali Gopi as well who scripted and acted out the role of Ajay Kurien with élan. He questions the views by many that bold content is on the rise in Mollywood.

“Even yesteryear directors Padmarajan’s and Bharathan’s classics had dialogues that hit you hard. No one cared then.

Why now?” He dismisses all the sound and fury as an attempt to kill New Age cinema and says, “It’s funny why people who use cuss words a hundred times when stuck in traffic, just can’t tolerate the same when they hear them in the movies.

” But those who are still not convinced and crib about Malayalam cinema going overboard with dialogues, here comes veteran director V.K. Prakash’s reply.

“Never confuse boldness with something that is vulgar or with dirty language. He even cites the example of Delhi Belly that was loaded with many cuss words but no one complained. “It’s sad to see people praising such movies.

They don’t mind watching them with their families. Unfortunately movies with such repulsive jokes end up opening in 70 centres while meaningful cinema with a strong theme might get only 20 centres.

“But one thing is for sure,’’ he says, “People who enjoy such badly made movies have no right to criticise New Age cinema that comes packed with strong themes and bold statements.”

[mampilly]

Bollywood Blockbusters: 100 years of Indian cinema - Videos - Movies - Bollywood - IBNLive

[mampilly]

I love doing comedy: Mohanlal





The versatile actor Mohanlal is all set for another venture ‘Tezz’. The actor will be seen playing a cop in the film. With a vast experience of 33 years and 300 films in his kitty, Mohanlal talks exclusively about Tezz, his rapport with Priyadarshan and the kind of roles he likes doing.

How did Tezz happen?

This is my 43rd film with Priyadarshan including all Malayalam and Hindi films. I used to joke around with Priyan and ask him to give me a role in his Hindi films. One day, he came up to me and offered me a guest appearance in ‘Tezz’. He asked me if I would do it and I said a Yes.

How was it working with Anil Kapoor and Ajay Devgn?

I'm playing a British police officer in the film. However, I have no scenes with Ajay or Anil in the film. But, I know both of them since a very long time. Anil worked on a Malayalam film and had a scene with me. And for Ajay, this is my third film with him. So, it was not new but both are a pleasure to work with.


There were reports that Priyadarshan works without a script, what would you say about that?

(Laughs) Initially he used to do that. We have done many films together. Cinema is in his mind, so he used to make changes on the spot earlier. In fact, there are many directors in Malayalam cinema who come on the set and write the script. But now, he has changed a lot. He would do some changes on the sets but not completely, like before. He makes these changes when we do a humorous film.

You have been in the industry for 33 years, how have you seen your growth in Indian cinema?

I am moving with this industry. This is a beautiful industry and I love my profession, I'm enjoying it. With the blessing of the almighty and the audiences I had a chance of doing great films with great directors. To portray any character, my directors have helped me a lot throughout my journey in cinema. It is a blessing in disguise; I feel proud to be an actor. I believe it is a combination of luck and hard work.

What is your criterion of selecting films?

It has changed over the years. When I started working in films, I didn't have any criteria. But now after 30 years as an actor, story is the main thing. Script plays a very important role and then the director. Most of the directors are writer-directors which is the best thing in Malayalam cinema. When they write a film they also know how to execute it.

You have done comedy and negative roles, so personally what do you prefer the most?

It actually depends upon the director; if I do a film with Priyan then I will definitely go for humorous roles as he knows my strengths. With him I am more comfortable and I can easily give my inputs. But with other directors, I love to do serious films. However personally, I love to do humorous roles.

As per reports you never wanted to be an actor, what inspired you to become one?

Yes, I started acting in my college in one of my friend’s film. Later, I did my second film and then the counting went upto 300 films (chuckles). So it wasn't planned that I wanted to be an actor. In my case, my destiny and luck has played a big role in my success.

After so many years in cinema, do you feel your journey is complete and you have achieved what you always wanted?

It is a blessing to me more than an achievement. I feel I'm blessed with my acting career.

What is next for you?

I have a film called Grand Master which is being produced by UTV. And apart from that, I have not decided anything. I like going with the flow instead of planning things.

[mampilly]

Anil Kapoor & Ajay Devgn talk about TezzBy Nikhil Ramsubramaniam,
It's not often that you get a chance to interview two actors who together combined have more than 50 years of experience in Bollywood. Despite being quite different from one another, they do share many similarities as well. For starters, both come from filmy families and yet have had to struggle to make a name for themselves. Both are known for their intense on-screen performances and their no-nonsense approach towards work. Both have excelled in every possible genre from action to romance to comedy. Both have pretty much stayed away from unnecessary controversies in their long standing careers. And last but not the least, both are not just actors but also producers with a great understanding of cinema. Yes, we are talking about Anil Kapoor and Ajay Devgn, two of the finest and most versatile actors of Hindi cinema who have stood the test of time. In a freewheeling chat with Bollywood Hungama's Nikhil Ramsubramaniam, the duo talk about their film Tezz in which they share screen space for the first time in their careers. You don't wanna miss reading this one…

You both have been in this industry for a long time and yet this is the first time that you are working together in a film- Tezz. What took you so long to come together for a film?
Anil- Sometimes things don't work out the way you want them to. With Tezz, it all came together beautifully- the right script, the right characters and the right director. That's one of the reasons why we have come together.

Ajay, you had a fabulous last year with Singham and now Tezz is your first release this year. How is the general vibe?
Ajay- Well, I've been out since the past 50 days shooting for Son of Sardaar in Punjab. In fact I was asking Anil what the buzz is like? Right now we are just a few days away from release and are promoting the film to create awareness. The promos have got a very good response so far, let's see how the film fares, we are keeping our fingers crossed.

From the promo, your character seems to have shades of grey, more like the anti-hero. Could you tell us a bit more about your character?
Ajay- I can't tell you if it's grey or black or white. For that you will need to see the film. It's a character who has been wronged and wants back what he feels is rightfully his. It's not about him being a terrorist, it's his fight against the system and Anilji's character represents the system.

Anil, you play a suave cop, what is it that got you excited about this role?
Anil- Sometimes while writing a script, you keep working on and on to flesh out a certain character and that's how the writer and director of this film created my character. You can't just call my character as someone who represents the system and is fighting for the security of the country. There is something very fresh and unique about this character which you will realize when you see this film. I really enjoyed playing this character. It's something which I haven't attempted before. Mostly I have done roles like Ajay's character in the film who fights against the system so for a change it felt nice to represent the system (laughs). These kind of roles can be very boring but I've tried my best to make it quite a colourful character.

Both of you have worked with Priyadarshan (Anil in Virasat and Ajay in Aakrosh) in the past, how has it been this time around?
Anil- Well, it's been fun. We've had our share of agreements and disagreements during the making of this film but overall I think we are happy with the final outcome. I think it is definitely one of his best films. This is a genre that he hasn't really explored in the past so I am looking forward to see how people react to the film.

Ajay, this is the 3rd time you are paired opposite Kangna after OUATIM and Rascals. How has been the experience this time around?
Ajay- It's been pretty much the same. Kangna is a through professional, a very sweet person and a good actress. So it's been a nice experience working again with her.

Ajay is paired opposite Kangna in the film, so Anil did you miss having some female company in the film?
Anil- I had my wife Sunita during the making of the film (laughs). She was there in London while we shot Tezz.

Tell us 3 qualities that you admire the most about each other.
Ajay- For Anil, I'd say his honesty towards work, his dedication and his understanding of cinema.
Anil- What I like about Ajay is that he is instinctive when it comes to understanding and portraying a character correctly which is very unique. He has a magnetic screen presence. Of course I also love his voice and dialogue delivery and his intense eyes

Coming to the action of the film, what unique stunts can we see this time around?
Ajay- I don't know what unique means but the kind of chases and stunts this film has is comparable to any Hollywood film.
Anil- There is a fist fight, there are some crazy car and bike chases and there is a Parkour sequence which has come about really well. When I saw it on screen while dubbing, I realized how good it looks. As a matter of fact, even Zayed has also done a phenomenal job in this film.

The film has quite a mammoth star-cast but one name that stands out is that of superstar Mohanlal. How was it working with the legend from down South?
Anil- I have no scenes with him in this film unfortunately. I had done a guest appearance in one of his Malayalam films called Chandralekha which was also directed by Priyadarshan. He is doing a cameo in Tezz and we are really honoured and happy that he has graced our film. I am sure his fans won't be disappointed because he has done a fabulous job even in a small role like this.

Hollywood films these days are proving to be quite a big competition for Bollywood films. Tezz releases this week with one of the biggest Hollywood films The Avengers. Is that a matter of concern for you guys?
Anil- Not really. India as a market for international films is still very miniscule when compared with other countries of the world. Of course the market for Hollywood films here is expanding and I am happy that they are taking India very seriously as a market and doing their best to promote their films here and have a share of the pie from the Indian market. In the days to come, I am sure India will be as big a market for Hollywood films as are some other countries but at the moment it's not as big as you imagine. There is still a long way to go.

Finally a bit about your forthcoming projects?
Ajay- After Tezz, I have Bol Bachchan which is a Rohit Shetty comedy with elements of action. Then there is Son of Sardaar which is again a romantic comedy with action.
Anil- I am busy shooting for my films Race 2 and Shootout At Wadala. For Race 2, I am going for a long schedule in Turkey and Cypress in May and June. I am again reprising the role of Inspector Robert D'Costa, the fruit-loving cop, only this time Saif and I are richer after all the booty we got last time (laughs) . Shootout At Wadala is really shaping out brilliantly and I feel its Sanjay Gupta's best work till date.

What is the status on the Hindi remake of 24?
Anil- Well this year, I will hopefully start shooting for the pilot sometime in July. Abhinay Deo is the director for the show.

[Warlord]

Nayattu Malayalam Movie Photo Gallery: Nayattu Malayalam Film Stills, Malayalam Movie Photo Gallery, Malayalam Film Photo Gallery, Nayattu Malayalam Cinema Photo Gallery